BAS hosts launch of Climate Change Charter
Over 60 leaders from schools, businesses, churches, community groups and universities in Cambridge came together today (25 October) at the British Antarctic Survey to launch the Cambridge Climate Change Charter. The initiative aims to stimulate, co-ordinate and communicate action by organisations in Cambridge to address the causes and consequences of climate change.
The Charter is backed by leading Cambridge organisations and is being launched during National Energy Saving Week. An early taste of joint working by the Charter supporters is to offset at least an equivalent of the amount of carbon dioxide generated by people travelling to the event. This will be achieved as part of energy efficiency campaigns being conducted amongst their staff during National Energy Saving Week.
Organisations supporting the Cambridge Climate Change Charter include: Anglia Ruskin University; British Antarctic Survey; Cambridge City Council; Cambridge Regional College; Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Cambridge University Press; Cambridge Water PLC; Ridgeons; Stagecoach in Cambridge; The Grafton Centre; University of Cambridge. The event provides an opportunity for Cambridge organisations to sign the Charter and support efforts in the city to reduce their contribution to climate change and manage its associated impacts.
Professor Nicholas Owens, Director of British Antarctic Survey (BAS) said, “We are delighted to host the Cambridge City Council Climate Change Charter at BAS. We are seeing unprecedented changes to the global climate. Only this week leading researchers from BAS reported that since 2000 CO2 growth has increased 35% faster than we previously thought. If our political leaders are to make informed decisions to devise strategies to cope with global change they need the best scientific evidence they can get. That’s our job here at BAS.”
Ian Nimmo-Smith, Leader of Cambridge City Council, said “Cambridge City Council is working hard to tackle climate change across all of its activities, but the scale of the challenge requires a joined-up response. Cambridge has a great deal to offer the world in addressing the challenges of climate change, and the launch of the Cambridge Climate Change Charter will ensure that our city’s creativity, innovation and talent is focussed towards the same goals”.
Above: BAS Director Nicholas Owens, Dr Mary Archers (Chairman of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust) and Ian Nimmo-Smith (Leader of Cambridge City Council) with a copy of the Cambridge Climate Change Charter
By signing the Cambridge Climate Change Charter organisations accept that climate change will have increasingly significant effects on the people, organisations and environment of Cambridge and commit to taking eight specific actions to address the causes and consequences of climate change.
Further information and a copy of the Cambridge Climate Change Charter can be viewed and downloaded from: www.cambridge.gov.uk.